Amusement apparatus



H. N. RI DGWAY. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. ll. I919.

, 1 341 219 Patented May 25, I920.

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Herbert N. Ridgwuy byMWkW Miys.

UNITED STATES PAT HERBERT N. RIDGWAY, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 19720.

Application filed November 11, 1919. Serial No. 337,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT N. RmewAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winthrop, county of Sufiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of the type illustrated in my Patent No. 1,279,911, dated September 24:, 1918, and particularly to the cars for use in such devices.

The amusement device illustrated in said patent is of that type which includes a plurality of passenger-carrying cars of circular shape and adapted to travel in any direction on a platform, and means for propelling said cars in different directions on the platform. Since these cars are propelled or projected in different directions, they are continually bumping into each other, and it is necessary, therefore, to provide each car with a buffer surrounding the car on all sides so that when the various cars strike each other, the impact will be a yieldin one.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of buffer or bumper for cars of this type, and the novel features wherein the invention resides will be disclosed in the following specification and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a car embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the buffer;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4;, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a slightly different construction from that shown in Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as the present invention relates simply to the buffing device for the car, I have not deemed it necessary to disclose an entire amusement apparatus, but have simply indicated generally at 1 a car for an amusement device of this character.

This car is circular in shape and it is provided with the exterior cylindrical wall 2 having an opening 3 therein for passengers to enter the car and also provided with a circular seat 4 on which the passengers sit. The car is mounted on casters 5 which permit it to travel freely in any direction.

My improved buffer device comprises in its construction a plurality of springs situated exterior to the car and each secured at its inner end to the car body. Said springs may have any suitable shape or construction, and as illustrating one form of spring, I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 coiled springs 6. In Fig. 5 I have shown springs in the nature of leaf springs 26. My improved buffer device also con'iprises a fiexible band encircling the springs and. con nected to the outer ends thereof. These springs 6 may be secured to the body 1 in any suitable way. One simple construction for this purpose is that herein shown wherein the inner end turn of each spring is formed into a loop 8 situated axially of the spring, said loop or eye 8 being attached to the body by means of a bolt 9. The outer end of each spring 6 is connected to a block or head 10 which is preferably made of wood, and these blocks 10 are flexibly connected to" gether by the encircling band 11.

For connecting each spring to its block, I have shown the outer end turn of each spring bent into a loop 12 through which extends a bolt 13 that bolts the spring to the block 10. The ends of the blocks 10 are beveled, as shown at 141, and said blocks are preferably of such a size that the corners 15 thereof engage each other. The band 11 which encircles the blocks is preferably of some yielding material, such, for instance, as leather, rubber or a heavy woven strip of fabric in the nature of a canvas belting. This flexible band is rigidly secured to each of the heads 10 in some suitable way by means of rivets 16. The flexible band 11, therefore, constitutes a hinge connection. between the various heads 10 and allows the various heads and their springs to be moved inwardly when. the car impacts against another car or against a fixed object.

Since the heads 10 engage each ,other they present a practically continuous but yielding annulus which encircles the car and is of sufficient strength to resist any blow which the car is likely to receive by impact with another car or with a fixed object. The exterior band 11 protects the heads 10 from the direct blow and takes the wear, and because of its yielding nature, it also has a cushioning effect. 1

The springs 6 and heads 10 are retained in their horizontal position by suspenders 17 which are secured at their upper ends to the top of the car body 2 and at the lower ends either to the heads or to one of the end turns of the springs 6. These suspenders 17 are flexible so as to permit the various springs to yield when the car strikes an object. They may be in the form of straps or may be in the form of wire, the particular material of which they are made being immaterial so long as they have suflicient stren th and flexibility.

In *ig. 5 a construction is shown wherein the springs are in the form of leaf springs 26. These leaf springs may have any desired shape which will permit them to give in a radial direction and they are connected at their inner ends to the car body and at their outer ends to the blocks 10. In other respects the device shown in Fig. 5 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While I have illustrated some selected embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto as the constructions shown in the drawing are for illustrative purposes only.

I claim:

1. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any-direction, of a plurality of radially-arranged coiled springs situated exterior to the car and secured at their inner ends to said car, and a flexible annular member encircling the springs and secured to the outer end of each spring.

2. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of a plurality of radially-arranged coiled springs situated exterior to the car and secured at their inner ends to said car, a head or block secured to the outer end of each spring, and a flexible band encircling said blocks and firmly secured to each.

3. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of a plurality of radially-arranged coiled springs situated exterior to the car and secured at their inner ends to said car, a head or block secured to the outer end of each spring, and a flexible band encircling said blocks and firmly secured to each, said blocks being of such length that they engage each other and thereby form a sectionalannulus.

4. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of a plurality of radially-arranged coiled springs situated exterior to the cars and secured at their inner ends thereto, a head or block secured to the outer end of each coiled spring, and a flexible band encircling said blocks and rigidly secured thereto and forming a hinge-like connection bct veen the various blocks.

5. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of a plurality of radially-arranged coiled springs situated cxterior to the car and secured at their inner ends to said car, a flexible band encircling the springs and secured rigidly to the outer end of each spring, and a flexible suspender connecting the outer end of each spring to the upper portion of the car.

6. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of an annulus carried by the car and surrounding the latter but spaced therefrom and comprising a plurality of flexibly-connected blocks, and springs interposed between said car and said blocks.

7. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of a flexible annulus carried by the car and surrounding the latter but spaced therefrom, said annulus comprising a plurality of blocks, a flexible band secured to said blocks and pivotally connectingthem together, and springs interposed between said car and blocks.

8. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of an annulus surrounding the car but spaced therefrom and comprising a plurality of flexibly-connected blocks, and springs interposed between said car and said blocks and connected to both the car and the blocks.

9. The combination with a car adapted to travel in any direction, of a plurality of springs situated exterior to the car and projecting outwardly therefrom, means connecting the inner end of each spring to the car, and a flexible band encircling the springs and rigidly secured to the outer end of each spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT N. RlDGlVAY. 

